Signal snap hook



May 6, 1947. G. E. FOREMAN SIGNAL SNAP HOOK FiledV Jan. 23, 1945 FIC-3.3

` @www GERALD ELLIS FOREMAN lFI(3.4V

' v This invent-ion relates fPatented May S, 194.7

nutren lsTA'rlzs PATENT o FFI ce;

SIGNAL SNAP HOOK Gerald Ellis Foreman, United States Navy Application January 23, 1945, Serial No. 574,176 v (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

1 Claim.

1 to improvements in light weight snap hooks for quickly and positively running up signal iiags.

An object of this invention .is to provide an improved light weight signal snap hook.

Another object of this invention is to provide a signal snap hook that is readily secured in a positive manner.

These and other objects are obtained by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the snap hook of this invention in the retracted position partially in cross section;

Fig. 2 is 'a similar sectional side view of the lower jaw in the closed position with a section of the shank removed;

3 is a side view of Fig. 2; and

Fig. '4 is a sectional View taken along the line 4-"41'of Fig. 2.

To facilitate nag hoist signalling, the snap h'ook 4II)"o;t` this invention is seized to thehtail- J:line of the pennant and the upper end of the halya'rd to engage the ring seized to the top of ithe hoist of the pennant ring below, or the ring Cat the lower end of the halyard.

fThe shank II of the snap hook I is swivelly v4connected at the bottom to a ring I2 by means "of a groove 25 which is first formed by machining lofi the bottom and inserting in a correspondingly seized drilled hole, tapped at both ends, in the lring I2 and then headed up at the end into a similar outer groove 21, iiared end section 26.

The lower shank II of hook I0 is also centrally drilled as shown by the axial channel I1 extending the full length of the shank II except for the hooked section 26. A wall of the shank II is also slotted as shown at I6, which slot extends inwardly to the axial channel I1 and downward for a suflicient distance to accommodate the movable jaw member or mouse I4 when it assumes its retracted position, as shown in Fig. 1. The width of the slot I6 is shown somewhat less than the diameter of the hole I1 in order to prevent the mouse or movable jaw member from falling out, as best shown in Fig. 4. The mouse I4 has a downwardly extending pin or plunger section 29 for insertion in the drilled hole I1 which bears against a compression spring I3 inserted in the hole I1. The mouse I4, adjacent the pin section 29 has machined surfaces 30, 3|, as shown forming a web integrally connecting the lip and the plunger and extending for a suicient distance so that engagement with the slotted section I6 of the shank is assured for the length of travel amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) of the mouse I4 or movable ljaw member. iIf-he mouse I4 is acted upon bythe force of'g'ravity at all times which tends to forcei't into the 'operi position except forcompressionof vthe spring I 3 which is sucient to overcome both the moving and static friction in order to return -the mouse I4 to the closed position as ,soonV asany'foreign dow'nwardlyentering pressure is removed.

The relative position of the tongue and groove relationship between the shank and the movable jaw members could be reversed.

The shank II extends curvedly, upwardly, into the stationary jaw member section I5 which has section 23 removed for keeping its weight at a minimum. Similarly, suitable section 22 has been removed from the movable jaw member I4. The shape of the lips 20, 2I of the respective jaw members I4 and I5 are critical with this invention, in that they present an extremely wide mouth snap hoop, as best shown in Fig. 2, in the closed position. These lips 20, 2I are curved in a smooth manner so that at the mouth and throat, they are parallel to eachother, best shown in the closed position of Fig. 2.

The extension of shank II curvedly and upwardly forms a hook which is formed, in conjunction with the movable jaw member I4, to surround an reentrant enclosure. Reentrant, as

herein used, means the extending of the enclosure in both directions from the point of contact of the movable jaw member and the hook substantially in the direction of movement of the movable jaw member. This reentrant enclosure thus forms a concave hook which will function as an open hook in the event of the movable jaw member failing to close.

The two jaw members I4 and I5 are normally in the closed position due to the action of the spring I3. As the working of this snap hook depends solely on the pressure of the entering ring (not shown) on the lips, it is not necessary that the operator grasp the hook in any particular manner for operation. Formerly, with the closed mouth of the snap hooks, it was necessary that the ring enter directly into the mouth or throat.

This ease of operation is due to the aring of the lips in this inventors device. Reference is made to Figure 2 of the drawing in which the line ab is the tangent at the point of contact of the two arcs of the lips 2b and 2i. These arcs may be substantially circular. bc is the chord of the arc of lip 2l and bd the chord o f the arc of lip 20. Both chords extend between the extremities of curvature of their respective arcs. The angle measured beg-Ween che tangent ab and 3 chord bc is the angle' of flare 0 of lip 2| and that between tangent ab and chord bd the angle of flare 0' of lip 20. The sum of these two angles (B4-0') is the total angular are of the lips since it measures the angular departure of the lips from their common tangent.

With the smooth outwardly ared lips ofhis invention, best shown in Fig. 2, it is practically impossible to loose a hoist as the snapthokfl 0f now successfully engages quickly andepiiently on the rst attempt. Furthermore, the lip 2001' l il.15a-said1slotintegrally connecting said plunger and that it is posslble under adverse conditionsgch the movable jaw member;,lqlislptsudcientwidth as being coated with grease, to practically and readily release the pennant.

The invention described herein matberpagufactured and used by or for tlfe Government of the United States pfmeria orpveremental "purpses'wajfit the" payment ,f'any royalties thereon orltherfr'." "INYhai-I isf claimed' is -Afwid utid'quick atingsnap hpqkom- Lnlalxal chan- 4 channel, an outwardly extending hook jaw integral with said shank forming a part of a, reentrant enclosure, a movable jaw completing the reentrant enclosure when in closed position, a.

5 plunger integral with said movable jaw slidably mounted in said axial channel, spring means po- L sitionedwithn saidfaxallchlnn'el biasing said plunger ,-and..movable-jaw to' clolsd position against said hook jaw, an outwardly ared lip integral with said integral hook jaw, a similar outwardly ared lip integral with said movable jawv both said lips flaring outwardly from their 4,pgpintof (contact to form an entrant angle of substantially r90and a web extending through rsaniollared lip of said movable jaw.

GERALD ELLIS FOREMAN.

,EEFERENCES CITED 20 The following references are of recordin the 

